Goethe B1 Word List: The Official Wortliste and How to Use It
Level:B1Duration:~3 hoursFee:~€150–250Validity:UnlimitedFormat:Modular
Last updated: 30 September 2026 · Verified against current official Goethe-Institut sources
The B1 Wortliste published jointly by the Goethe-Institut and ÖSD shows the roughly 2,400 lexical units that the Zertifikat B1 is based on. It is a reference: candidates are expected at least to understand these words when reading and listening. Use it together with the task types rather than memorising it on its own.
How the list is structured
- Section 1 – word groups: abbreviations, anglicisms, the language of exam instructions, schools and subjects, grades, colours, compass points, countries and languages, political terms, animals, currencies and measures, numbers and time expressions.
- Section 2 – alphabetical list: each entry comes with example sentences; derived words appear as indented sub-entries.
- Standard variants from Austria (A) and Switzerland (CH) are marked separately, e.g. parken / parkieren, Treppe / Stiege.
- Compounds whose meaning is obvious and nouns derived from verbs are usually not listed separately.
An exam-focused study plan
| Step | What to do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Learn the word groups and instruction language first | Prevents misreading task instructions |
| 2 | Split the alphabetical list into daily blocks of 30–40 entries | Gives you a repeatable rhythm |
| 3 | Record each word with its example sentence, article and plural | Supports accurate use in Writing and Speaking |
| 4 | Look for the same words in Reading and Listening tasks that week | Tests receptive knowledge in real texts |
| 5 | Review unknown words after 1, 3 and 7 days | Slows forgetting |
Common mistakes
- Trying to memorise the list from A to Z in one go.
- Learning nouns without article and plural, or verbs without their forms.
- Stopping at every unknown word: exam texts can contain words outside the list.
- Treating Austrian and Swiss variants as errors.
Official sources
The exam rules and figures in this guide were checked against the official sources below.
Related guide
Test your vocabulary in real exam tasks
Solve Goethe B1 Reading and Listening tasks on Zertifly and consolidate the list in genuine exam contexts.